Filing cabinet



Feb. 21, 1933. .5, a SPERRY 1,898,223

FILING CABINET Filed June. 15, 1929 or replacement of such contents.

claims.

Patented Feb. 21, 1933 HERBERT B. SPEItRY, OF BATAVIA; ILLINOIS FILING CABINET Application filed June 15, 1929. Serial No. 371,196.

This invention relates to filing cabinets particularly adapted for use in filing blue prints, tracings, drawings, maps, etc., such as are usually retained in engineering and drafting ofiices or in the filing of other records comprising relatively large sheets, and wherein it is desired to retain the sheets in a flat or unfolded condition, it being understood, however, that a cabinet embodying the present invention is equally well adapted for use in the filing of other records than those of the particular character above mentioned.

One of the'objects of the present invention is to provide a filing cabinet of the character described wherein the filing pins may be relatively adjusted in a manner to provide proper registration of the pins with the apertures or pic-operating portions of the material to be led.

Another object of the invention is to provide a filing cabinet wherein the filing pins are so spaced and positioned with respect to each other as to insure the proper positioning of the material on the pins, thereby avoiding the possibility of damage to the sheets by reason of improper positioning of the supporting portion of thesheet with respect to the (Bo-operating pins.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet having a portion which is movable in a manner to permit access to the cab inet, and means for holding the movable portion'in various positions of adjustment with respect to the body portion of the cabinet;

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet having novel means for partially opening the cabinet to permit access to the contents thereof, and wherein the cabinet may be further opened to permit the removal A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the cabinet may be quickly and readily closed from either its/partial or wide open position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an efficient and practicable structure, and to improve devices of the character disclosed in sundry details hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended bodying features of my invention, and showing a portion of the cover members broken away to facilitate the showing of the side Wall actuating mechanism.

'Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional ele vation through the cabinet taken substantially as indicated by the line 22 of 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional elevation similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the operation of the sidewall 'actuating mechanism.

Figs. l and 5 are face and plan views, re: Spectively, of the means for adjustably positioning certain of the filing pins with respect to the other of said pins.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the latch forming a part of the side wall actuating mechanism.

Referring to'the drawing the illustrative embodiment of the invention comprises a frame having a bottom or base portion 10, to which are secured upwardly extending end walls 11 and an upwardly extending cen-' tral frame portion 12 supported adjacent its upper end by .a plate 13 secured to the end walls 11 by means of bolts or rivets 14:,

.Pivotally mounted on the base portion 10, as by hinges 15, are side walls 16 having 8 stiffening or reinforcing member 17 secured thereto and extending upwardly to a point adjacent the upper edges of the end walls 11, the side walls 16 beingadapted to be yieldingly urged toward the vertical edges of the end walls of the cabinet by tension springs 18. v

Pivotally mounted on the horizontally extending portion 12a of the frame member 12 are covered members 19 adapted to co operate with the end walls 11 and sidewalls 16 in a manner to enclose the contents of the cabinet when the side walls 16 are in their Vertical or closed position.

For supporting the blue prints, maps, drawingsor the like in the cabinet a plurality of pairs of supporting pins 20 and 21 are provided, the former being spaced apart a greater distance than the latter and shown in the present instance as mounted on the honzontally extending portion 12a of the central frame portion 12. The pairs of pins 21, in the present instance, are shown as carried by plates 23, adjustably mounted on the stiflening or reinforcing members 17. of the side walls 16. For adjusting the plates 23 on the members 17, the latter are provided with screw threaded apertures 24 (Flgs. 4

and 5) adapted to receive the threaded shank portion of machine screws 25, while the plate 23 is provided with an enlarged aperture 26 through which the shank of the screw 25 extends for clamping the plate 23 to'the me1nber 17, the plate 23 beingprovided with a counter-bore 27 for the reception of the head of the machine screw.

It will be noted that by the arrangement shown and described the pairs of pins 21 carried by the plates 23 may be adjusted within certain limits in all directions to provide proper registration of the pins with apertures formed in the edge or co-o erating portions of the sheets to be filed. t will also be noted that by positionin the pins of one of the pairs a greater distance apart than those of the other pair the danger of improperly positioning the sheets on the pins is avoided, as obviously, the distance between the apertures in the co-operating edges of the drawings or sheets will be such that they will register with only one or the other of the pairs of pins.

In the illustrative embodiment the present invention is shown as applied to what might be termed a double cabinet having a compartment on each side of the longitudinal center of the frame structure, and in as much f as the two portions of the cabinet are identical, the side wall actuating mechanism is shown and described with reference to one compartment of the cabinet, it being understood that similar mechanism is provided for actuating the-opposite side wall.

Referring to lgs. 2 and 3 one of the cover members 19 is shown as having an arm 28 rigidly secured thereto and to the outer or free end of the arm is pivotally connected the upper end of an actuating bar 29 having its lower end pivotally connected at 30 to one end of a link 31, the opposite end of which is pivotally connected to a bracket 32 secured to the side wall 16. Pivotally connected to a bracket 33, also secured to the side wall 16 adjacent the upper edge thereof, is a latch 34 having a notch 35 formed therein adjacent its central portion and a notch 36 formed adjacent one of its end portions, the notches 35 and 36 being adapted for co-operation under various conditions of adjustment with a loop 37 secured to one side of the actuating bar 29 intermediate the ends thereof.

It will be noted by reference to Fig. 2 that when the side wall 16 and cover member 19 are in closed position that the loop 37 is in engagement with the notch 35, and that when the cover 19 is moved to the full line position shown in Fig. 3, the connection of the actuating bar 29 with the side wall 16 and latch 34 will cause the side wall to be moved outwardly against the action of the spring 18 about its pivotal. connection with the frame of the cabinet a sufiicient distance to provide access to the contents and enable one to separate the sheets on the supporting pins sufficiently to read the index or file numbers thereon,-the respective pairs of pins maintaining their overlapping condition to permit any of the sheets to be shifted along the pins from one pair to another, as desired or as may be necessary.

For releasing the latch 34 from engagement with the loop 37 to permit of further outward movement of the side wall 16 the latch 34': is provided at one of its end portions with a thumb engaging surface 38 which may be pressed downwardly in a manner to swing the latch about its pivotal connection with the bracket 33 and out of engagement with the loop 37, after which the side wall may be swung outwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3, at which time the loop 37 will engage the notch 36 at the extreme end of the latch for holding the side wall 16 in its wide open position as did the notch 35 in its partially open position.

In the wide open position of the side wall 16, the respective pairs of supporting pins 20 and 21 will have been moved beyond an overlapping position, thereby providing sufiicient space between their adjacent ends to permit of the removal or insertion of sheets of drawings, maps or the like.

It will be noted that when the side wall 16 is in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 by pressing down the thumb portion 38 the latch may be lifted and the notch 36 disengaged from the loop 37, thereby permitting the sidewall to be drawn toward the vertical edges of the end walls by the springs 18, after which the cover 19 may be moved to closed position and the loop 37 brought into engagement with the notch 35, as shown in Fig. 2.

For facilitatin" the movement of the side wall to closed position, it will be noted, by reference to Fig. 6, that the latch 31 is provided with an inclined cut-away portion 39 adjacent the notch 35 so that if the notch 36 is moved out of cooperative relationship with the loop 37, and the side wall 16 permitted to close wholly by the action of the spring 18, the movement of the latch 34 through the l0op37 will be such that the notch 35 will not be engaged by the loop, owing to the fact that the notched end of the latch will not fall quickly enough to engage the shallow side of the notch 35 adjacent the cut-away portion 39. p

It will be observed from the foregoing specification that the present invention provides a filing cabinet wherein the filing pins are relatively adjustable for proper registration with apertures in the co-operating edge portions of the sheets to be filed and which are so positioned with respect to each other as to prevent the possibility of improper positioning of the sheets on the pins, also that a novel construction and arrangement of elements is provided for facilitating the opening and closing of the cabinet.

Obviously, the present invention is not limited to the precise construction and arrangement shown and described, as the same may be variously modified. Moreover, all the features of the invention need not be used conjointly, as the same may be used to advantage in variously different combinations and sub-combinations.

I claim:

1. In a filing cabinet, the combination, of a frame having end walls associated therewith, a side wall pivotally mounted on said frame, means for urging .said side wall toward said frame, a cover member pivotally mounted on said frame and co-operable with said side and end walls for enclosing the contents of the cabinet, an arm rigidly secured to said cover member, an actuating bar pivotally connected at one of its end portions to said arm, a link pivotally connected to the opposite end of said bar and to said side wall, a loop .secured to said bar, a latch pivotally mounted on said side wall and having notches co-operable with said loop, and means carried by said latch for moving said latch and notches out of co-operative relationship with said loop.

2. In a filing cabinet, the combination of a frame having end walls associated therewith, a side wall pivotally mounted on said frame, resilient means for yieldingly urging said side wall toward said frame, a cover member pivotally mounted on said frame and co-operable with said side and end walls for enclosing the contents of the cabinet, an arm rigidly secured to said cover member, an actuating bar pivotally connected at one of its end portions to said arm, a link pivotally connected to the opposite end of said bar and to said side wall, a loop secured to said bar intermediate its end portions, a latch pivotally mounted on said side wall and having notches co-operable with said loop, means adjacent one end of said latch for moving said latch and notches out of co-operative relationship with said loop, said latch having a cut-away portion adjacent one of said notches for permitting said resilient means to move said side wall to a point closely adjacent said end walls when the other of said notches is moved out of engagement with said loop.

3. In a filing cabinet, the combination of a frame having end walls associated therewith,

a side wall pivotally mounted on said frame, a plurality of pairs of supporting pins, resilient means for yieldingly urging said side wall toward said frame, a cover member pivotally mounted on said frame and co-operable with said side and end walls for enclosing the contents of the cabinet, an arm rigidly secured to said cover member, an actuating bar pivotally connected at one of its end portions to said arm, a link pivotally connected to the opposite end of said bar and to said side wall, a loop secured to said bar intermediate its end portions,a latch pivotally mounted on said side wall and having notches co-operable with said loop, means adjacent one end of said latch for moving said latch and notches out of co-operative relationship with said loop, said latch having a cut-away portion adjacent one of said notches for permitting said resilient means to move said side wall to a point closely adjacent said end walls when the other of said notches is moved out of engagement with said loop.

4. In a filling cabinet, the combination with a stationary portion of a portion relatively movable in relation to said stationary portion, a pair of holding pins secured to said fixed portion, and a co-operating pair of holding pins secured to said movable portion, each of the pins on the movable portion being offset in relation to the pins on the stationary portion, and being adapted to co-operate with perforated sheets to be filed thereon, having four separated perforations adapted to register synchronously with said holding pins, the said pair of spaced pins on the moving portion being differently spaced with relation to each other from the said spaced pins on the stationary portion whereby said perforated sheets to be placed upon either pair of said pins when the said portions and holding pins are separated for sheet insertion or detachment may be received only on either selected pair of holding pins in correct position to properly register with the spaced pins on the co-operating portion whereby to prevent maladjustment of sheets and undesired perforations therein when it is desired to close the said portions of the cabinet toward each other and upon perforated sheets supported upon said pins.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 10th day of June, A. D. 1929.

HERBERT B. SPERRY. 

